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How to Learn a New Language

One of the most difficult areas of learning a new language is listening to someone talking the language you are learning and not understanding what he/she is saying. They may say words you already know but for some reason, you can’t recognize them. Why? Because it sounds to you that if they are talking very fast and you do not know when one word starts and when it ends. Does this sound familiar to you?

When you learn a new language you say the words slowly when you construct sentences. You make spaces between each word exactly as you see it written. But when people speak, they do NOT make space between each word; the words are connected and to an ear that is not used to it, it sounds like one big mumble jumble. Example: You say: Iwanttogotothemovies. You do not say: I (space) want (space) to (space) go(space) to (space) the (space) movies. Did You get my point?

When we learn a new language we have to accustom our ear to the way sentences actually are said. Here is what I suggest.

Have a book of the language you’re studying. (it IS very important to SEE the written words)

Read a sentence (understanding every word in it, of course).

Read it again over and over until there are no spaces between the words.

Now say the sentence over and over without looking at the page until there are no spaces between the words.

If you have access to audios of the language you are studying:

Have the book of the language you’re studying.

Read a sentence (understanding every word in it, of course).

Listen to that sentence in the audio.

Now say it over and over until there are no spaces between the words.

If needed: listen to the audio again and hear how the words are pronounced. Paying attention to the accented syllables.

Now, say the sentence again WITH the audio until you keep up with it.

When you drill it this way you’ll hear yourself speaking like a native and then when you hear a native talk you’ll be able to understand what he/she says as your ability to spot where a word starts and where it ends increased after having followed the drill that I’m suggesting.